Bottle closure

ABSTRACT

A cap-sealed bottle wherein the shoulder of the bottle commences inwards from the top of the bottle, leaving a peripheral ledge, the shoulder and the upper region of the body are elliptical and the shoulder portion is longer on one side than the other, the shoulder joining the body of the bottle to the neck of circular cross-section; and the cap comprises a hollow cup-shaped member having a downwardly-extending skirt, a snap-lock liquid-tight sealing arrangement internal of the skirt and at least one internal rib adapted to ride over the shoulder and which rib also serves as a guide means to position the cap on the bottle.

United States Patent 1191 Atkins BOTTLE CLOSURE [75] Inventor: Herbert Ashley Atkins, Maidenhead,

England [73] Assignee: Beecham Group Limited, Brentford,

England [22] Filed: May 19, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 254,922

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 20, 1971 Great Britain 16052/71 [52] US. Cl. 215/41, 215/46 R [51] Int. Cl B65d 41/06, B65d 41/22" j [58] Field of Search 215/31, 41, 46 R, l R; -D9/59-76 [56] References Cited 9 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,773,291 8/1930 Weaver 215/31 2,340,353 2/1944 ,Weaver 1 215/31 2,454,674 11/1948 Schrader 215/31 2,476,155 7/1949 McKelvy 215/46 R 2,540,931 2/1951 Carvalho 215/31 3,252,446 5/1966 Bateman 215/46 R 3/1969 Goget et a1. 215/41 1111: 3,826,397 July 30, 1974 3,468,447 9/1969 Smalley 215/41 3,471,052 10/1969 Atkins 215/46 R D48,765 3/1916 Sinclaire 215/1 R D20l,220 5/1965 Lorenzen D9/66 OTHER PUBLICATIONS Websters New World Dictionary of the American Language, 2nd College Ed., 1972, page 981.

Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Assistant Examiner-Stephen Marcus 5 7] ABSTRACT longer on one side than the other, the shoulder joining the body of the bottle to the neck of circular crosssection; and the cap comprises a hollow cup-shaped member having a downwardly-extending skirt, a snaplock liquid-tight sealing arrangement internal of the skirt and at least one internal rib adapted to ride over the shoulder and which rib also serves as a guide means to position the cap on the bottle.

5 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures PATENTEB m3 0 SHEET 10F 2 Fig.5a. Fig.5b.

Fig.4.

PATENIEDJuLBmQM SHEET 2 OF 2 Fig .6.

' BOTTLE CLOSURE This invention relates to bottle closures wherein the cap is adapted to be easily gripped in the hand and removed by a simple twisting motion through not more than 90 and wherein the upper part of the bottle is adapted so that the cap is easily aligned with the bottle when being placed or replaced thereon.

My prior application Ser. No. 765,914 discloses a closure designed for use in bottles intended to be used for packaging liquid consumer goods.

When liquid consumer goods are packaged in bottles it is essential that the contents should be readily and easily accessible. Thus it is essential that the cap or closure device shall be easily removable without the need to apply any excessive forces or pressures. On the other hand, when the bottle is closed by the cap being in position on the bottle it is essential that the closure should be liquid-tight and not liable to be displaced by change, for instance when the goods are in transit or whenthe bottle is being'shaken prior to use. These are the prerequisites of any cap and bottle device but other factors come into operation in particular circumstances. For example, with mass produced bottle and caps it is essential that the bottles and caps should each separately be relatively cheap to produce without any especially intricate interengaging surfaces or devices which need to be designed and constructed to excessively close tolerances. Thus simple caps with only one component number which can be moulded in one piece out of readily available cheap materials such as plastic are particularly suitable. It is also advantageous that caps should be applicable to the bottles in simple manner by machines. Another factor is that when all of the goods in thebottle will not be used at once the bottle should be re-closable as readily as it is openable.

These desirable qualities are to be found in the closable bottle of application, Ser. No. 765,914 which comprises a cap-sealed bottle wherein the bottle comprises a body, a shoulder portion and aneck, the shoulder portion commencing inwards from the top of the body thereby leaving a peripherical ledge at the uppermost boundary of the body, and wherein the shoulder portion and the upper region of the body immediately adjacent to the shoulder have half-turn symmetry about a vertical axis of the bottle such that'their plan view is substantially elliptical or oblong the shoulder having a convex surface along any vertical plane parallel to the minor axis of the elliptical or oblong plan and extending upwards to merge into the neck of circular crosssection; and wherein the cap is made of resilient plastic material and comprises an inverted hollow cup-shaped member having a downwardly extending skirt the lower edge of which skirt conforms with the peripheral ledge on the body of the bottle and snap-lock liquid-tight sealing arrangement internal of the skirt to close the aperture of the bottle neck, the cap having at least one internal rib which is adapted to ride up the convex surface of the bottle shoulder when the cap is turned out of register with the bottle and thereby to release the snap-lock seal and cap from the bottle.

However, it has now been found that if the cap is not properly aligned over the bottle by the packaging machine, the snap-lock sealing arrangement may not enter into full engagement without damage to the arrangement, particularly if the bottle is of some hard material such as glass. Moreover, the cap may sometimes be forced onto the bottle in an unsightly non-aligned position. It has now been found that these disadvantages can be overcome by some modification to the previous design, the principal one of which is to construct the bottle and cap so that the skirt of the cap is longer on one side of the major axis than on the opposite side.

Accordingly the present invention provides a capsealed bottle wherein the bottle comprises a body, a shoulder portion and a neck, the shoulder portion commencing inwards from the top of the body thereby leaving a peripheral ledge at the uppermost boundary of the body, and wherein the shoulder portion and the upper region of the body immediately adjacent to the shoulder I are approximately elliptical or oblong and the shoulder portion is longer on one side of theminor axis of the elliptical or oblong plan than on the opposite side of the minor axis and the shoulders have a convex surface along any vertical planes parallel to the minor axis and extending upwards to merge into the neck of circular cross-section which is longer on the same side of the minor axis as is the shoulder than on the opposite side of the minor axis and wherein the cap is made of resilient plastic material and comprises an inverted hollowshaped member having a downwardlyextending skirt the lower edge of which skirt conforms with the peripheral ledge on the body of the bottle and a snap-lock liquid-tight sealing arrangement internal of the skirt to close the aperture of the bottle neck, and at least one internal rib which is adapted'to ride over the convex surface of the shoulder portion when the cap is turned out of register with the bottle and thereby to release'the snap-lock seal and cap from the bottle.

Preferably there are two internal ribs each shorter than and connecting the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and projecting downwardly from the top of the cap parallel to, and on either side of, the minor axis of the other edge of the skirt. Preferably also the ribs-terminate in a concave or V-shaped position adapted to cooperate with the shoulders of the bottle at the ends of the major axis thereof.

The bottle may be made of any suitable material such as glass or plastic. Such plastic may be of high, medium or low density so that rigid or flexible bottles may be used.

The cap is constructed of a resilient material. A preferred material is plastic. Suitable plastic materials include high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinylchloride and the like.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by way of example in the attached drawings which:

FIG. 1 is a frontal view of the upper region of the bottle with the cap in position;

FIGS. 2a and 2b are side views of the upper region of the bottle with the cap in position.

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the upper region of the bottle with the cap removed.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section along the line AA in FIG. 3

FIGS. 5a and 5b are side views of the upper region of the bottle with the cap removed.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the inside of the cap. FIG. 7 is a vertical section through the major axis of the bottle withthe cap in position.

FIG. 8 is a vertical section along the line BB in FIG. 7

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2a and2b a cap (1) made of plastic is provided for fitting on a bottle (2). As shown in FIGS. 3 to b the body of the bottle has an upper pe-v ripheral ledge (3) situated at the base of a shoulder portion (4), which is longer on one side (4a) than the other (4b) the shoulder portion being joined at the other end to the neck portion (5) which may be longer on one side (5a) than on the other (5b) and which in turn has its upper end joined to a substantially circular mouthpiece (6) which carries an annular flange (7 surrounding the orifice (8) of the bottle. Thus as illustrated the body and shoulder portions of the bottle have a generallyelliptical plan section, but the neck'is substantially circular. I

In general, the shoulderportion (4) in front elevation view has sloping sides. However, the neck portion (5) has substantially vertical sides, though at its upper end it has side bevels (9) so that the mouthpiece (6) annular flange (7) and cular. 7 One form of the cap will now be described. The outer shape can easily be appreciated by reference to FIGS. 1, 2a and 2b which show side views of it in position on the bottle, and FIG. 6 which shows a plan view of the inside, the top outside plan being an ellipse of the same outside dimension as that shown in FIG. 6. The cap comprises an inverted hollow plastic cup with an elliptical top surface (10) and downwardly extending side walls or skirt which is longer on one side (11a) than on the other (11b); Inside the cap are two strengthening ribs (12) and (13) which are substantiallyrectangular in shape'exceptfor a' trough-shaped cut-out portion (14) at the bottom. The rib (12) is longer than the rib (13). The inclined surfaces of the cut-out are labelled on rib (12) as faces ('15) and (16'). The slope and position of these faces (15) and (16), [and corresponding faces on rib (13)] are such that they are just tangential to the shoulder portion (4) of the bottle when the cap is in the position. The capalso has an inwardly extendingplug in the form of a short cylindrical wall (17) extending fr'omandintegral-with the top surface (10). When the cap is on the bottle, this cylindrical plug fits inside the delivery aperture of the neck of the bottle. Concentric with this cylindrical plug (17) is a second sealing member in the form of a cylindrical wall 18) of larger diameter than (17) and which itself carries an annular inwardly extending bead (19). When the cap is in position on thebottle, the annular flange (7) of the neck is .gripped between the cylindrical plug (17) and the cylindrical wall (18) with the bead (19) of the cap.

tendency will be for the cap ribs to ride down the slope of the shoulder to centralise the cap above the major vertical sectional axisof symmetry of the bottle. Thus the cap cannot be applied wrongly.

It will be appreciated that the exact shape of the shoulder portion of the bottle can be varied somewhat, provided that it is still convex in cross section along the lines where the ribs contact it. Thus, an alternative construction is, for example, one wherein the shoulder is concave along the line of the major axis. However, when a moment is applied to the cap about a vertical axis through the bottle neck axis and cap centre, the effeet will still be the same, namely that the troughshaped cut-out in the ribs will ride above the convex shoulder causing the capto be lifted upwards andoff the bottle.

One obvious advantage of this type of removal is that the shape of the cap is such that it can be held easily in the hand even when wet or slippery. v

Various other modifications can be made to the bottle neck and cap without departing from the inventive principle. Thus the elliptical plan shape of the bottle and cap illustrated above can be varied slightly making the plan view nearer to a rectangle. Many other sealing arrangements and snap-lock devices and variations are known in the container'art which can be adapted to the cap and bottle of this inorifice (8) are each substantially cirvention. For example, the walls of the cylindrical plug (17) need not contain a hollow area 'but meet so as to form a solid projection extending downwards from the top surface (10) of the cap. This projection may be of large or small diameter as long as it fits 'lfl[0 and substantially sealsthe orifice (8) of the bottle.

Iclaim:

1. Acap-sealedbottle wherein the bottle comprises a body, a shoulder portion and a neck, the shoulder portion commencing inwards from the top of the body thereby leaving a peripheral ledge at the uppermost boundary of the body, and wherein the shoulder portion and the upper region of thebody immediately adjacent to the shoulder are approximately oblong and the shoulder portion is longer on one side of the minor axis of the elliptical or oblong plan than onthe opposite side of the minor axis and the shoulders have a convex surface along any vertical planes parallel to the minor axis and extending upwards to merge into the neck of 1 circular cross-sectionwhich is longer on the same side of the minor axis as is the shoulder than on the opposite side of the minor axis; and wherein the cap is made of resilient material and comprises an inverted hollow cup-shaped member having a downwardly extending skirt the lower edge of which skirt conforms with the peripheral ledge on the body of the bottle and a snaplock liquid-tight-sealing arrangement internal of the skirt to close the aperture of the bottle neck, and at least one internalrib which is adapted to ride over the convex surface of the shoulder portion when the cap is turned out of register with the bottle and thereby to release the snaplock seal and cap from the bottle.

2. A cap-sealed bottle according to claim 1 wherein the cap is provided with two internal ribs, each shorter than the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and connecting the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and projecting downwardly from the top of the cap parallel to, and one of the ribs being on each side of, the minor axis of the other edge of the skirt.

3. A cap-sealed bottle according to claim 2 wherein the internal'ribs of the cap terminate in a substantially concave or V-shaped position adapted to co-operate with the shoulders of the bottle on the major axis thereof.

4, A cap-sealed bottle according to claim 1 wherein the top of the body and the shoulder are elliptical in plan and the shoulder is substantially ellipsoidal in shape, two internal ribs are disposed within the cap, each shorter than the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and connecting the inner sides of the skirtof the cap and projecting downwardly from the top of the cap par- 7 allel to, and one of the ribs being on each side of, the

minor axis of the other edge of the skirt and which ribs have a substantially trough-shaped cut-out at their base adapted to co-operate with the shoulders of the bottle on the major axis thereof.

5. A cap-sealed bottle wherein the bottle comprises a body, a shoulder portion and a neck, the shoulder portion having an upper peripheral ledge each of which is approximately oblong, the shoulder portion being longer on one side of the minor axis of the elliptical or oblong plan than on the opposite side of the minor axis, the shoulders have a convex surface along any vertical planes parallel to the minor axis and extending upwards to merge into the neck of circular cross-section, the neck being longer on the same side of the minor axis as is the shoulder, said neck having an orifice, a circular mouth-piece and an annular flange around the upper portion of the circular mouth-piece; and the cap is made of resilient material and comprises an inverted hollow cup-shaped member having a downwardly extending skirt the lower edge of which skirt conforms with the peripheral ledge of the upper peripheral ledge, two internal ribs of unequal length, each shorter than the inner sides of the skirt of the cap, each connecting the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and projecting downwardly from the top of the cap parallel to, and one of the ribs being on each side of, the minor axis of the other edge of the skirt and wherein the ribs of the cap terminate in a substantially concave or V-shaped position adapted to cooperate with the shoulder of the bottle on the major axis thereof, an annular extending bead extending from the interior of the cap and capable of mating the annular flange and means extending from the interior of the cap to close the orifice when the cap is in place on the bottle. 

1. A cap-sealed bottle wherein the bottle comprises a body, a shoulder portion and a neck, the shoulder portion commencing inwards from the top of the body thereby leaving a peripheral ledge at the uppermost boundary of the body, and wherein the shoulder portion and the upper region of the body immediately adjacent to the shoulder are approximately oblong and the shoulder portion is longer on one side of the minor axis of the elliptical or oblong plan than on the opposite side of the minor axis and the shoulders have a convex surface along any vertical planes parallel to the minor axis and extending upwards to merge into the neck of circular cross-section which is longer on the same side of the minor axis as is the shoulder than on the opposite side of the minor axis; and wherein the cap is made of resilient material and comprises an inverted hollow cup-shaped member having a downwardly extending skirt the lower edge of which skirt conforms with the peripheral ledge on the body of the bottle and a snap-lock liquid-tight sealing arrangement internal of the skirt to close the aperture of the bottle neck, and at least one internal rib which is adapted to ride over the convex surface of the shoulder portion when the cap is turned out of register with the bottle and thereby to release the snaplock seal and cap from the bottle.
 2. A cap-sealed bottle according to claim 1 wherein the cap is provided with two internal ribs, each shorter than the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and connecting the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and projecting downwardly from the top of the cap parallel to, and one of the ribs being on each side of, the minor axis of the other edge of the skirt.
 3. A cap-sealed bottle according to claim 2 wherein the internal ribs of the cap terminate in a substantially concave or V-shaped position adapted to co-operate with the shoulders of the bottle on the major axis thereof.
 4. A cap-sealed bottle according to claim 1 wherein the top of the body and the shoulder are elliptical in plan and the shoulder is substantially ellipsoidal in shape, two internal ribs are disposed within the cap, each shorter than the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and connecting the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and projecting downwardly from the top of the cap parallel to, and one of the ribs being on each side of, the minor axis of the other edge of the skirt and which ribs have a substantially trough-shaped cut-out at their base adapted to co-operate with the shoulders of the bottle on the major axis thereof.
 5. A cap-sealed bottle wherein the bottle comprises a body, a shoulder portion and a neck, the shoulder portion having an upper peripheral ledge each of which is approximately oblong, the shoulder portion being longer on one side of the minor axis of the elliptical or oblong plan than on the opposite side of the minor axis, the shoulders have a convex surface along any vertical planes parallel to the minOr axis and extending upwards to merge into the neck of circular cross-section, the neck being longer on the same side of the minor axis as is the shoulder, said neck having an orifice, a circular mouth-piece and an annular flange around the upper portion of the circular mouth-piece; and the cap is made of resilient material and comprises an inverted hollow cup-shaped member having a downwardly extending skirt the lower edge of which skirt conforms with the peripheral ledge of the upper peripheral ledge, two internal ribs of unequal length, each shorter than the inner sides of the skirt of the cap, each connecting the inner sides of the skirt of the cap and projecting downwardly from the top of the cap parallel to, and one of the ribs being on each side of, the minor axis of the other edge of the skirt and wherein the ribs of the cap terminate in a substantially concave or V-shaped position adapted to cooperate with the shoulder of the bottle on the major axis thereof, an annular extending bead extending from the interior of the cap and capable of mating the annular flange and means extending from the interior of the cap to close the orifice when the cap is in place on the bottle. 